Babbage History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Babbage family

The surname Babbage was first found in Devon where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 15th century when they held estates in that shire. The early references to this name have never been found but we may presume from the numerous farmers and landowners holding the name in Devon in the 19th century that it was from strong west country stock.

Early History of the Babbage family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Babbage research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1632 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Babbage History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Babbage Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Babbage include Babbage, Babbidge, Babidge, Babbige, Babbege and others.

Early Notables of the Babbage family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Babbage family of Devon

Babbage migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Babbage or a variant listed above:

Babbage Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Christopher Babbage, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1632 1

Babbage Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Richard Babbage, who landed in New York in 1834 1
Richard Babbage who arrived in New York in 1834

Babbage migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Babbage Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Benjamin Herschel Babbage, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hydaspes" in 1851 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Babbage (post 1700) +

Ross Babbage (b. 1949), American Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Forum Pty Ltd and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments
Bob Babbage (b. 1951), American Democratic Party politician, Kentucky auditor of public accounts; Elected 1987 3
Robert A. Babbage Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1980, 1996 3
John Davis Babbage, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1952 3
Charles Babbage (1791-1871), English mathematician and inventor, eponym of the Babbage crater, on the Moon 4
Stuart Barton Babbage (1916-2012), New Zealand Anglican priest, a descendant of Charles Babbage, the English Polymath
Frank Babbage (1858-1916), English animal painter and wood-engraver
Dennis William Babbage (1909-1991), English mathematician who was associated with Magdalene College, Cambridge, and with codebreaking at Bletchley Park during World War II
Benjamin Herschel Babbage (1815-1878), English-born, Australian engineer, the eldest son of Charles Babbage, the renowned Cambridge mathematician
Herbert Ivan Babbage (1875-1916), New Zealand artist
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HYDASPES 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hydaspes.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019